5 Years, $32.5 million, For A $6.5 Million Dollar Per Season Cap Hit…

THAT is what I would offer Dean Lombardi if I am Drew Doughty’s agent.

Why?

When I do a balancing test of what is most important to Drew, contract length becomes more important as the gap in dollars becomes less relevant. In other words, if I can get the dollar amount close to high market value (read: $7 million ish per season), then the length becomes the key to this whole deal and we all know that Drew Doughty wants to test the free agent waters.

An offer like this immediately puts all the pressure on Dean. He cannot possibly come back and claim a $6.5 million cap hit is unreasonable. He offered it to Drew, except it was packaged in a 9 year deal. I am just shaving 4 years off that term.

Can you still call my client a greedy son of a Blake? Hell no. “But I want more years!” Tough. Drew wants to play his ass off, help the Kings win a Cup and earn that contract that every superstar in the league covets – the long-term, big dollar, carry him through his 30’s deal that gives he and his future family (wife, mistress & little Drews) complete financial security. That doesn’t mean he won’t stay in L.A. It’s not like he is demanding a 2 year deal. 5 years is a long time. In Brian Burke land (where everyone thinks they are the smartest man in the room), that is nearly a lifetime contract.

What would the media and fans think if they learned I, as Doughty’s agent, offered 5 years and a very reasonable $6.5 million dollar cap hit, Dean said no and is refusing to budge? But for the long-term thinking, analytical type (which is the small minority of any fan base) most of our fans would boooo Dean over the delays. The pressure would mount. Dean would be forced to make a counter offer, he may come back with 6 years, $40.5 million to $40.8 million for a $6.75 to $6.8 million dollar cap hit. That may do it…and you have me and King Solomon (the biblical one, not Jeff) to thank for it.

Now, some of you are asking, “Bobby, are you saying that Drew Doughty’s agent has offered Dean 5 years, $32.5 million?” These are hypotheticals. Don’t ask silly questions like that.

So, you’re Dean Lombardi. I offer you the 5 year deal with a $6.5 million dollar per season cap hit. What’s your response? Oh, and remember, camp is right around the corner…

35 replies

My argument against this (if I’m going with Bobby’s scenario) is that Kopitar already showed commitment once and didn’t put the Kings’ through the ringer like Drew has been. Yes having them both become UFA at the same year us a big scare and a gamble, but I’m looking at Kopitar as someone I can sign early on in his UFA year if he has performed as admirably as he has. We gave him a little more than market value once, we can do it again even easier if we are successful as a team between now and then. 5 years also gives me enough time to get Forbort through to the NHL andfor Muzzin/Deslaurier to get a year or 3 or 4 of NHL experience under their belts. For me the biggest concern with DD and Kopi being up for UFA the same year isn’t fear of losing them both but rather huge cost uncertainty for that year andthe few before it.

My 2 year still seems more workable. JJ signed for 2, and that worked out just fine. He got it done himself before the 2 year deal ended. 5 instantly puts us at a stand off in 4 years unless we trade 1 of 2 players ahead of time. 4 is a stand off because of free agency, and 3 is a stand off because of impending free agency. 7 is reported to have been rejected also, so 6 or 2 would be the target compromises. 2 does leave arbitration as a looming threat, but I think it’s worth the risk considering we could lose DD for part of the season if a compromise is not found. 2 or 6!

Since $32.5 million over 5 years doesn’t make Drew the highest AAV on the Kings, I don’t believe that offer would be coming from Meehan. Since the offer doesn’t exist, Dean can’t agree to it. If it did exist, Drew would be in camp tomorrow.

Bobby, the real offer from Meehan is $35 million over 5 years. Do you agree to it?

I did, I said if the offer from Meehan was $32.5 million over 5 years, he would be in camp tomorrow. I would sign him to that deal. It’s less than Stamkos on the same term and less than Kopitar on a shorter term.

So, Meehan offers $35 million over 5 years for a $7 million dollar cap hit. Do I agree? Yes to the number, no to the years. If he wants $7M per season, he agrees to no less than 7 years. If he wants 5 years, I want the number to be below Kopi.

Thanks spreigned. I cant take all the credit my cousin, a buddy of ours and me thats been.our running joke for a couple months now. the game at home vs edmonton right before christmas they gave out those mcflurry cards to everyone. Our joke was they came from drews private stash

5 years at 6.5 cap hit is a lose/win situation. Why would DL pay top $ for 5 years and make DD a UFA at the end of his RFA? Makes no sense…unless they are bed-buddies. DL need to assure he gets some UFA years out of this and not play into Meehans pocket. Let him sit the entire season and bring up the other guys. This team is strong enough without him and his doughy posture.
Withdraw the offer by Friday and call it a season without dough; the non spongy adventure.

I wouldn’t give DD top dollar for potential. I would be willing to give DD a raise (may 4-5 per season) for 2 years to prove that he’s worth the money. Holding out hurts DD in the long run since the kings have players that can step in right now. If he plans on holding out and signs later in the season, he won’t crack the line-up right away since his conditioning isn’t where it should be. Worse case scenario for DD is that Voynov, Hickey, or Drewiske step in and perform just as well.

With Doughty hiding in his home town instead of skating with his team mates, day 1 of the hold out has begun. I don’t believe he would be able to get a flight to LA for the physicals tomorrow morning. I don’t expect the Kings to send a private plane to pick him up either.

Schenn is skating with his team mates this week without a contract. Bogosian was skating with his team mates before he signed his deal.

Can’t blame the agent anymore, this is all on Drew now. Schenn has the same agent and he is with his team.

Dean is not going to react well to Drew holding out. This will get ugly very quickly.

The idea of Meehan negotiating a serious premium for yr. 6 is very rational – that 6th year
is worth a lot more to DL than to DD. Call it peak-time pricing. Among other things, I can see
more than one reason for DL to prefer negotiating with AK first.